A Day in the Life
by bluegirl-783
Summary: A typical day in the life of some of our favourite people in Genovia, set six months after the events of PD2
1. Charlotte

_A/N: I am back! I'm still planning stories on our favourite couple but I'm just experimenting with a few other characters and different perspectives_

Charlotte Kutaway was a very busy woman. Her day was usually jam packed from morning to early evening with paperwork, meetings, the occasional evening function and visiting various towns in Genovia, as well as working through sessions of parliament, but she had to admit that she enjoyed every moment of it, although she also had to admit to herself that she missed her previous job, as the Queen's (or, more correctly, the former Queen) personal assistant.

It had been six months since the memorable wedding and coronation, and she had been busily occupied in the meantime, getting used to her new role and new responsibilities (although the Princess had been right, she had learnt much about the role during her years with the Queen) but even though she had a new job, it didn't mean that she wasn't still in contact with the palace and the staff she had worked with for the better part of a decade.

It had been the Princess's… sorry, the new Queen…. idea that she become a new member of parliament- there had been a few retirements after the coronation (including Viscount Mabrey's 'exit') and while the Von Trokans had excitedly volunteered to step up to the post, Queen Mia had made a different decision.

"Me, Your Majesty? You want me to become a member of parliament?" Charlotte could still remember her surprise when the Princess had approached her just before the coronation. Charlotte had been wondering about her future- now that the current Queen was married and ready to step down, she wouldn't need a full time personal assistant anymore and Charlotte wasn't quite sure what she would do next, although she had options- but Mia's suggestion hadn't been something she had been expecting.

"Why not?" Mia shrugged casually. "You have been working with my grandmother for so long, and have attended so many meetings, I'm sure you would know just about every protocol and rule that they have."

"I wouldn't say that, Princess…."

"Besides, I fully intend on balancing out parliament- there are far too many old men in the palace and it's time that a few changes were enacted."

"What about… the Prime Minister? What about the Queen?"

"I've already discussed it with the Prime Minister, and he is fully supportive of the idea (although it may take some time) and I'm sure Grandma will be on board… but would you _please_ consider the idea… for yourself, if not for me?" the young woman looked at Charlotte beseechingly and Charlotte, while taken aback by the suggestion (and that the Princess had already broached the idea with the Prime Minister) couldn't help but feel flattered.

"I will, Your Highness. I promise."

Well, it was two months later that Mia, as Queen, had amended the law so that women were allowed to become members of parliament and Charlotte was her first recommendation to join the 'honoured body', and Charlotte was more than happy to accept the role- and the former Queen was one of the first to congratulate her after the investiture ceremony, where four women besides Charlotte were welcomed into parliament.

"I am glad that Mia was able to recommend you to parliament and that you accepted- you will do a fine job in parliament, they are very lucky to have you."

"I… I'm…."

"You WILL do fine," the older woman reached over and squeezed one of her hands warmly. "Won't she, Joseph?" she turned to the man standing at her side, her husband and one man that Charlotte had felt had been a mentor and a friend to her.

"Indeed she will," he replied, regarding her with a serious look. "Congratulations, Charlotte."

"And… it will be wonderful to see you at the palace more often… as a friend, rather than my employee, not that I ever considered you that," Clarisse added with a smile.

"I also must remind you that from now on, I am Clarisse and you are Charlotte."

"Yes, ma'am… sorry, Clarisse," Charlotte responded with a smile.

Since then, she had been spending a lot of time at the palace, mainly professionally by accompanying the Prime Minister to meetings with the Queen, but she and the former Queen… Clarisse always managed to have tea together at least once a week, depending on their respective schedules, although Clarisse's schedule had slowed down considerably since her retirement.

"It is something that I'm very glad about," she had confided to Charlotte one day. "I didn't mind doing it all when I had to, but not that I don't have to… it's quite nice to be able to relax…."

"Which you deserve, after all your years of service. Both you and Joseph do," Charlotte said softly as Clarisse smiled back at her and Charlotte was struck at how youthful she looked, had been looking since the wedding, since the moment that she and Joseph became husband and wife. It had been such a long wait for both of them, but now they were finally together and they deserved to enjoy their marriage….

0

Charlotte's day usually started fairly early in the morning, not that it really bothered her as she had usually done long hours while still at the palace, with a run down the still sleeping main street of Pyrus before breakfast, perusing the papers as she did so before the phone interrupted her reading.

"Morning," came Scott's cheery voice over the phone line and Charlotte grinned- even though they still saw each other regularly at the palace when she was there, he couldn't help but call most mornings just to say hello.

They were only friends, that was all the ever wanted to be and Charlotte was glad to be able to have him as a sounding board when necessary- as Queen Mia's Head of Security, he usually accompanied her everywhere, including parliament and he usually knew what was going on, and often had quite informed and intelligent opinions that Charlotte found useful.

"Good morning, Shades. What can I do for you this morning?"

"Don't call me that," he grumbled and Charlotte laughed- Joseph had called him 'Shades' in the church on the day of the wedding, his mind clearly on other things, and the nickname had stuck. "Joe shouldn't have called me that."

"You really can't blame him, the Queen had just proposed to him and…."

"Yeah, yeah, his mind was on other things," Scott said sarcastically, but Charlotte knew that his nickname seriously didn't bother him; in fact, he found it rather more masculine.

"So, did you call me to argue about your nickname or… what?"

"Just wanted to make sure that you know about the meeting with Her Majesty this morning, about the trade negotiations with France and Spain."

"Of course I do, Scott, I'm well aware of my own schedule," Charlotte said wryly. "I've been preparing for the meeting for the last few days…."

She didn't want to admit to Scott that she was a little nervous- this was the first time that she would be taking the lead in these negotiations- they were hardly delicate, just a new contract between the three countries for another two years, but it was still the first time she would be an actual participant, rather than a note taker and observer.

"I know you are, you've always been prepared…. Actually, I just wanted… wanted to wish you luck," he finished lamely. "I know it sounds lame but….."

"It's not at all lame," Charlotte interrupted him, feeling ashamed that she had snapped at him. "Thank you, I really appreciate your words….I'm a little nervous," she admitted.

"You'll be fine, you know what you're doing, you've had plenty of experience through observation, how different could it be… and besides, it's only a re-signing of a contract, isn't it?"

"Yes, but…"

"You'll be fine," he repeated in a firmer voice. "Trust me- I know."

"Thanks," she said gratefully.

"You're welcome."

0

The said meeting with the Queen and the representatives from the other countries was the first meeting on Charlotte's agenda, so she was headed to the palace after breakfast, instead of going to her office in parliament house.

It was sill strange to step into the main foyer as a guest, rather than as an employee, and Charlotte still half expected Joseph to be prowling around the grounds with some of his 'boys' while she herself was moving between the Queen's study, the kitchen and the security hub. It still amazed her at how much she accomplished during the day, and the many places she seemed to visit during the day- and it was even more amazing to consider what Clarisse had done during her days.

"Good morning Charlotte," came a voice from the top of the stairs and she looked up to see Prince Pierre (or rather, he was formerly Prince Pierre, he was now a minister in the Church, and was a new assistant to the current Archbishop) heading towards her. "It's very nice to see you here."

"Good morning, Your… Pierre," she amended as he arched an eyebrow at her, similar to his mother- since she had become a member of parliament, he had insisted that she call him by his first name, although he had been telling her that since the abdication. "It feels strange to be coming in the front door and not having to report to the Queen…"

"Well, you technically are today… but as a representative of parliament, not a personal assistant."

"True," Charlotte admitted with a smile before she glanced at her watch. "I'm not late, am I?"

"I don't think so… my niece is still upstairs finishing breakfast, so I would say that you aren't. I don't even think the representatives are here yet."

"Good…. What are you doing today?"

"I'm going to see James (the Archbishop) now and then I have a few things to do in Lybitt- I'm going to do Sunday's church service there."

"That sounds good… it's good for His Grace to have additional support and people travelling to the other churches for him."

"I never realised how much I missed my country until I came home and travelled around again… I wish I hadn't let those men in parliament push me away," he looked momentarily regretful and Charlotte felt for him.

"Thankfully, those men have either had an abrupt attitude adjustment or have retired."

"Yes, thank goodness for my niece," Pierre beamed up the stairs. "I'm very proud of her, as Phillipe would have been... and I know my mother and Joseph are as well."

"Proud of whom?" inquired another voice from above them and they both looked up to see the young Queen herself making her way down the stairs, looking young and elegant in a pale blue linen dress and matching shoes, her hair up in a bun.

It had only been six months since she had ascended the throne, but since the coronation, the Queen had matured in ways that Charlotte couldn't believe- she was much more calmer and more serious (although she still had an impish sense of humour which she used on many occasion) and Charlotte knew that it was the weight of her new role and responsibilities that had sobered her up, but she had definitely changed but had kept all of her endearing qualities, much to everyone's relief- including her clumsiness, as she still demonstrated on a regular basis.

"Good morning Uncle Pierre, Charlotte. I hope I'm not late for the meeting… where's Penny, my assistant?" she glanced around the foyer and Pierre shrugged.

"I assume she's setting up for your meeting in your study… I need to be going… Goodbye, Charlotte… Niece," he gave her a smile before he brushed past them, heading towards the front door.

"So, how are you?" Mia turned her attention expectantly back to Charlotte. "You've been pretty busy lately, I was surprised I didn't see you at the last State Dinner with the ambassador from Japan."

"I… I had another dinner that night, Your Majesty…." Charlotte began apologetically before Mia giggled.

"I was just joking, I knew that you had represent the country elsewhere. Do you miss working here?"

"It feels a little odd coming in the front door and not going straight to my desk," Charlotte admitted as, side by side, they made their way towards Mia's study.

"I can imagine that would feel strange… even Grandma admits that sometimes it feels strange that she doesn't have to work at her desk… like, at eleven o'clock in the morning, when she and Joe are walking around the garden, she feels like she should be working."

"But she doesn't have to do that anymore."

"Yes, she's pretty lucky… but it is time for her to enjoy her retirement… with Joe- they both deserve that."

"Indeed they do," Charlotte agreed quietly as she followed Queen Mia into her study- suddenly her nerves were reappearing.

The meeting was a success, despite Charlotte's earlier nerves and she was once again impressed with the Queen and how she handled the situation (not that there was a situation as such)- it was clear that the Queen was firmly in control and Charlotte observed that there was more than a little of her grandmother's demeanour and the way she dealt with meetings in her- she asked precise and relevant questions, listened to the responses with a neutral expression and made clear and concise notes and observations.

"Well done, Charlotte," she said quietly afterwards, the representatives having been escorted to the formal morning room for morning tea with the Queen. "You were very well prepared and handled that well."

"You did very well as well, Your Majesty," Charlotte said politely. "You handled yourself very well."

"Thanks to Grandma's teaching," the formal façade slipped for a moment as the young woman grinned at Charlotte. "So… what are you up to after morning tea?"

"I have a session of parliament and then…"

"You'll be back here, you're having lunch with Grandma and Joe, I know all about that… you're very busy, aren't you?"

"Touché, Your Majesty, touché."

"Well, we'd better go and visit with our new trade partners, otherwise Grandma will find out and give me more lessons!"

As she followed the queen through to the formal room, she caught a glimpse of Scott on his way out for a trip around the perimeter.

He caught sight of her and raised his eyebrows in question- _how did it go_ \- and Charlotte beamed back at him, nodding quickly. Scott then gave her the thumbs up before moving on and Charlotte continued on her way- her first official success!

0

If she found it strange to enter the palace as a member of parliament, half compelled to wanting to go back to what she used to do- it was even stranger to enter the hallowed halls of parliament house and know that she was part of history now, part of the parliament and creating history for Genovia, even though she had sat through at least 15 sessions of parliament and other associated meetings in the past six months.

She had come to parliament many times, sitting behind the Queen and taking notes of the sessions, but it was still disconcerting to enter the room and sit in one of the rows that many others before her had sat, looking around the room at all the portraits of former Prime Ministers and distinguished members of parliament, receiving her own agenda and taking notes during the session… _even contributing to discussions and debates!_

The first time had been incredible- Sebastian had greeted them all warmly and had made the first session easier on them, although most of the new recruits all had an understanding of parliamentary procedure and had clearly studied up on the issues involved- and Charlotte had been stunned to realise that that first session, three hours long, had flown by in moments.

"You look… surprised," the Prime Minister said with a smile after the room had emptied and Charlotte was making her way out- the older, senior members of parliament had left first (and there had been quite a few disgruntled looks thrown in her direction- probably because they thought she was still allied with the Queen) followed by the younger members, but Charlotte had sat in her seat a few more moments, simply soaking in the moment.

"I'm not surprised… it's just… I've been here before, many, many times but…."

"It's different on the other side of the bench," Sebastian finished her sentence for her. "I can understand that- it was different for me when I left this side and went to that side," he pointed to the Prime Minister's leather chair on the other side of the railing. "It takes a while to get used to, but I think you will definitely get used to it."

"I know I will… it's just… different."

"It is, but it's a whole new world now, with a new Queen… and I think it's time for a change… and I'm looking forward to seeing the changes that Her Majesty and the newest members of parliament will invoke."

"You thought that…. women in parliament….?"

"I have wanted to do it for years but… there were a few… issues… in the way," he said diplomatically and Charlotte knew he was referring to certain former parliamentarians as well as certain laws that were very old fashioned.

"I can understand what you're talking about… but now…"

"Now, it's a good thing and Genovia's future is looking bright… not that it wasn't looking bright when Queen Clarisse was on the throne," he added hastily.

"No, it was good then too… but Queen Amelia will lead the country into a new century, with new challenges and new issues that only she will be able to deal with… and I feel proud to be part of it."

"As you should be, Charlotte- you did a fantastic job for Her Majesty, and now it's your turn to succeed," he looked at her soberly. "If there are any questions, if there's anything you need… you know where to find me."

"Thank you, Your Excellency."

"Charlotte," Sebastian looked at her with a joking yet slightly stern look. "We are colleagues now, as well as friends- you can call me Sebastian… we've know each other long enough for that."

"Yes… Sebastian."

Charlotte grinned at the memory as she made her way to her seat- over the past six months, they had managed to sort out their seating arrangements, some of the older men quibbling over details (seniors should be in front, juniors in the back, some of them argued) but finally things were sorted out and Charlotte was quite happy being in the back, although there was an expectation that, despite being in the back rows, you were expected to contribute to the sessions.

"Good morning, Charlotte, my fellow member of this honoured body," came a voice from beside her and Charlotte turned to see Lady Alyssa Palimore, the daughter in law of Lord and Lady Palimore, slip into the seat beside her. "I see that you are earlier than everyone else again."

" Good morning, Alyssa. Of course," Charlotte laughed. "I grew up being taught that it's better to be early than late."

"Would that some of our other colleagues would do the same," Alyssa waved around the still empty room- of course, the more senior members would leave their entrance until almost the last minute, as if to impress on the junior members that they were more important than them.

"One day, it may happen," she sighed wistfully.

Charlotte had never dreamed that she would be sitting in the same room as the daughter in law of Lord Palimore (who had retired only months earlier)- she had seen her at many palace functions, of course, but until now she hadn't dreamed that they would be working together… or even becoming friends- but she did know that, as a passionate advocate of children's welfare (and had even participated in the creation of the new Queen's orphanage) Lady Alyssa deserved to be in parliament, a sentiment echoed by the Queen herself.

" _She's amazing, she totally deserves to be there,"_ had apparently been her words during the vetting process, according to Scott ("although she said that you are still the top pick," he added hastily, in case Charlotte was offended) and the entire Palimore family had been present at the investiture ceremony.

"So, what's on today's agenda?" Alyssa continued conversationally as, around them, other members of parliament began to arrive and look for their seats.

"I'm not quite sure," Charlotte glanced at the agenda- there was usually formal business to be discussed beforehand, as well as any other issues, but there was nothing serious in today's session. "I do know that Her Majesty wishes to discuss the trade negotiations that had occurred this morning."

"That's right- how did the meeting go?" Alyssa's voice turned admiring- they were the same age but Charlotte had much more experience in the fields of diplomacy and negotiations, thanks to her time at the Attaché Corps and working for the former Queen. "I remember you saying that you a bit nervous about the meeting…."

"I was, but it went fine, I don't know I was nervous about it," Charlotte shrugged casually and Alyssa gave her a grin.

"Neither do I… my father in law was always fairly impressed with how you handled all those responsibilities while working with Her Majesty… actually, so was I."

Charlotte blushed deeply- even now, after all these years of working in different areas and working with some of the most important and respected people in Genovia (and the world), she still found it difficult to accept a compliment.

But before Alyssa could say anymore (or tease her, Charlotte suspected- they had become quick friends), Charlotte looked around and realised that everyone was present, including Her Majesty and Sebastian himself, who was about to bring the session to order.

000

The session of parliament flew by much quicker than Charlotte had expected- although she had suspected that since there wasn't that much on the agenda, it would be a quick session- and after bidding Lady Alyssa and some of her other colleagues goodbye (the older members of parliament were slowly warming up to her, although some were still wary of her, knowing that her last job had been the personal assistant to the recently retired Queen), she stepped out of the building to discover that a palace car was waiting out the front… for Mia, of course.

"Grandma insisted that you accompany me back to the palace," came Mia's voice from beside her and Charlotte turned to see the Queen walking down the steps behind her, Scott and two other men following behind.

"That's really not necessary, Your Majesty," Charlotte began and Mia chuckled as she held up a hand to stop her, a mannerism she had obviously copied off her grandmother.

"It is necessary, Charlotte, Grandma insisted, and when my grandmother insists on something…."

"I cannot not accept her kind offer,"" Charlotte finished with a smile and a sigh. "Alright, Your Majesty, I would be happy to accept a lift from you… if someone brings me back here after lunch."

"It's a deal," Mia said as Scott scooted ahead and opened the back passenger door. "I know Grandma said the Queen's never slide, but since she's not here…" she gave Charlotte a sly smile before doing exactly what her grandmother had advised her against and Charlotte couldn't help but grin.

Back at the palace, Mia excused herself to retire to her study- "It's a working lunch for me, I'm afraid "- while Mrs Cout, the housekeeper, showed Charlotte upstairs to the royal suite, Charlotte again being struck at how strange it was being treated as a guest rather than a fellow employee.

She left Charlotte at the door, and after one of the guards knocked on the door, they opened the door for her, both of them grinning in welcome- both men had always liked Charlotte and Charlotte liked them too, but she had never been able to remember their names, much to her shame.

"Good to see you as always, Charlotte," one of the men said and she smiled back at him.

"Good to see you as well."

Inside the suite, she found Joseph and Clarisse chatting quietly on the sofa, Charlotte momentarily feeling as though she was intruding, before they both looked in her direction with broad smiles.

"Hello, Charlotte," Joe said first, standing up and then helping his wife up. "I hear you've had a busy morning."

"Indeed I have… Hello, Joe… Hello Clarisse."

"Hello Charlotte," the former Queen responded with a warm smile as she crossed the room to greet her, Joseph as always on her heels. "I too hear that you did very well with the trade negotiations meeting."

"It was…. Easier than I expected."

"That happens when you know what you're doing… please, come and sit," Clarisse waved towards the sofa they had recently vacated and, still feeling a little awkward (why was that? She had had plenty of lunches with Joseph and Clarisse since the coronation, but, she mused to herself, perhaps she was still used to having working lunches with the Queen), she followed Clarisse back towards the sofa.

"Would you like a drink?" Joseph strode towards the bar and Charlotte shook her head. "Tea, wine, lemonade…"

"Just water or lemonade would be fine- I have to get back to work this afternoon," she blushed a little shyly.

"So," Clarisse settled back against the sofa and gave Charlotte a direct look. "Tell us all about what you've been up to this morning…."

000

Charlotte was surprised to discover that it was well after two o'clock when she checked her watch- the lunch had literally flown by and she was surprised to discover how much in common the three of them had in common, the conversation easy and flowing- but, then again, they had been working together for a long time.

"I guess it's time for you to return to work," Joseph joked, seeing her check her watch.

"I didn't realise how late it was," she admitted sheepishly, slowing easing her chair back from the table and standing up, the older couple following suit. "I should be getting back… the paperwork will be piling up," Charlotte joked weakly and the couple laughed.

"That's one thing neither of us misses," Clarisse said ruefully. "I don't envy you that, dear."

"Well… it's not too bad… much of it is quite interesting," Charlotte added hastily, not wishing them to think that she was complaining.

"I can imagine it would be… it's probably better than being my personal assistant."

"Oh no! I started learning when I was in the Attaché Corps, but it was my years here with you that really sparked my interest in diplomacy and politics."

"Well, well, I didn't know that," Joe said with interest. "I couldn't think of anything worse to be interested in- diplomacy and politics."

"Well, darling, you didn't need to worry about any of that, did you?" Clarisse chided gently, gently pummelling him in the arm. "That's why I was attracted to you."

"Oh really?" he turned to her with sparkling eyes. "I thought it was because I was handsome…."

"Well, that might have contributed as well…" she gave him a coy smile before she realised that Charlotte was still there and turned to her with a blush.

"Please excuse us, Charlotte, we were being rude… it was lovely to see you… and we must do it again soon," before she leaned over and took Charlotte's hand, squeezing it gently.

"Yes, we must."

"I'll walk you down… I'll get Scott to drive you back," Joseph volunteered.

"Joseph! He is Mia's Head of Security!"

"I'm sure he wouldn't mind…" he gave her a wink and then turned to smile winningly at his wife, who tried to look exasperated but failed.

"Fine…"

000

The rest of her day (or rather, the afternoon) passed by quickly- she was, of course, stuck at her desk, doing paperwork, completing correspondence and returning phone calls- but she was startled when she glanced at her watch again and realised that it was after six in the evening. It had been a busy, full day, a day that would probably be repeated in many different ways and many different patterns for the ensuing years, but she knew that she would enjoy every moment of it- this was what she wanted to do, and she was going to do it. There would be many challenges, days when she would want to tear her hair out, either over the stubbornness of parliament or meeting with representatives who wanted more than they were willing to give, but she was looking forward to it. Every single moment of it.

But for now….

It was time to go home….


	2. Mia

_A/N: Thanks to all my readers and reviewers, you all rock! This is something different for me, but I hope you will continue enjoying it!_

 _The Princess Diaries doesn't belong to me!_

There was a split second after she woke up that Mia forgot that she wasn't Queen.

For a moment, she still felt like fifteen year old Mia Thermopolis, living in San Francisco with her mother and cat Fat Louis, having recently lost her father to a tragic car accident, her best friend being Lily Moscovitz, bullied at school by the 'cool kids' (and having a crush on one of the cool kids… funny, she couldn't remember his name anymore) and generally being invisible to the rest of the world….

But then, she suddenly remembered the truth.

She was Her Majesty Queen Amelia Mignonette Thermopolis Renaldi, Queen of Genovia, a small nation in Europe, leader of her own country, granddaughter of the former Queen, Clarisse Renaldi Bonnell and her husband, Joseph, niece of Prince Pierre Renaldi, now a priest in the church, best friend of Lily Moscovitz and girlfriend of Lord Nicholas Devereaux, a former contester to her throne….

"Wow, life had certainly changed since I was fifteen!" Mia murmured to herself in amazement as she lay in bed and looked up the ceiling- again, that was another change that she was still getting used to; she was used to looking up the brick roofs of the dorms she lived in at college, or the mural that her mother had painted on the roof of the firehouse that she had grown up in. This ceiling, however, was painted a pearl colour and there were no posters or murals over the top of it- it could be construed as kind of boring, but Mia found it peaceful.

She heard movement in the living room and, with a groan, she rolled over to bury her face into her pillow- the sound of her maids bringing her breakfast was another reminder that her life NOW was far different to her life when she was fifteen… although, of course, her life at 21, as a college graduate, it would have been different anyway- looking for a job, finding an apartment, making new friends, maybe even looking for a boyfriend…

But being royal- and being _Queen_ , in particular- changed _everything_ and the realisation that she was now leading a life that most other 21 year olds would not understand or want… well most wouldn't, was a sobering realisation.

There was a timid knock on the door, followed by: "Your Majesty?"

"Thank you, I'm awake and on my way," Mia called back, rolling out from her pillows to respond. _Well, now I'm up_ , she thought ruefully to herself as she pushed back the covers with determination- today was another big day and she was going to greet it happily and meet all challenges with, according to her grandmother, 'grace and poise'. She had only been Queen for six months, so she was still looking forward to getting up in the morning, but she suspected that she wouldn't be always so enthusiastic…

"Thank you for the advice, Grandmother," Mia said semi-sarcastically as, reaching for her robe, she spied her favourite picture of them at their wedding, dancing their first dance as husband and wife. "But I'm not sure that I meet the 'poise' class yet," she added before disappearing into the shower.

0

Sure enough, when she emerged twenty minutes later, fully dressed and made up (she preferred to choose her own outfits and do her own hair and makeup- only for formal occasions did she want assistance), her maids were still there, as was Lily, one of her personal assistants.

Lily had returned to Genovia after the coronation to complete graduate school (and she had finished earlier than expected) but instead of fulfilling her plans of becoming a professional protester and joining a non-profit environmental organisation, she had returned to Genovia, wanting to 'help out'.

"I could be your personal assistant for a while, help you get organised, accompany you to parliament sessions…."

"But I always thought that you wanted to work with a non-profit environmental organisation, saving all animals, suing all the big corporations who are destroying the environment. What changed? You've been wanting to do this since you were like, 13."

"I know, and I still will do all that, eventually."

"But….?"

"But… at the coronation, I had the opportunity to meet some amazing people and learn their stories… and it made me feel that I want to make a difference as well."

"But you will make a difference with your passions."

"I know, but I want to help you for now, help you start off your reign well… after all, isn't that what best friends do?" Lily looked at her slyly and Mia sighed- she was worried that Lily was doing something she didn't want to do so not to disappoint her best friend, but she had to admit that she was a little relieved that she had someone else on her side. Her mother, Patrick and Trevor had returned to San Francisco after the coronation (flying back for Christmas, as it was deemed 'unsafe' for her to fly to San Francisco) and her grandmother was enjoying her marriage with Joe, Charlotte was busy with her new position and Uncle Pierre was busy with his own life- and while she knew that they all supported her and would help when necessary, they all their own lives and she had her own.

So, Lily became one of her personal assistants, mainly dealing with her personal correspondence as well as assisting with the 'transition period' as well being on the board of the children's orphanage Mia had founded- the second assistant mainly dealt with her schedule and accompanying her to parliament, and Mia had to admit that two assistants worked better than one, although she would never tell Charlotte (who had done two workloads as one).

"You're up early," Mia said as she sank down opposite Lily at the table and reached for the cup of coffee that had been poured for her.

"And you're running behind schedule- Annie sent me up here to let you know that you'll have to go straight to your session of parliament and will have to do the paperwork later."

"So, popping in on Grandma and Joe…"

"Will have to wait until lunch time, yes," Lily said as she straightened up- one reason Mia thought Lily wouldn't have returned was because of the formal outfits she had had to wear in the lead up to the coronation, but while she still looked uncomfortable, she was clearly used to it.

"Anything else to report?"

"Nothing really, aside from the usual letters that you have to read and reply to, although the chairman of the board of the orphanage called yesterday to make sure that you are still coming to the board meeting today."

"Of course I am, that's one meeting that I will NEVER miss. So, what's up with you?" she crunched on her toast and looked at Lily interestedly- because they were friends, it was often a little difficult to have a professional relationship as well as their friendship (which was another concern Mia had had when Lily had requested a personal assistant position) but it was easy to slip from one to the other. "Did you and Kip have a date last night?" Kip Kelly was the head of the royal guards and he had taken a particularly shine to Lily prior to the coronation, a shine that Lily clearly reciprocated.

"Yes, we went to the movies and then out for coffee… and no, I'm not telling you any more than that!"

"Why not? I tell you about Nicholas and me!"

"Well, that's different…."

Mia glanced at her watch- she was going to be seriously late if she didn't get a move on- before she drained her cup of coffee and stood up.

"Well, since parliament usually doesn't wait, I'd better go… and I'll be expecting details later," she looked at Lily meaningfully before one of her maids handed her her briefcase and she headed towards the door.

"Yeah, yeah," she heard Lily mutter behind her and she couldn't help but laugh.

"See you later Lil… don't you have work to do?"

000

Six months ago, she had been extremely nervous walking into parliament- the previous experiences hadn't been necessarily pleasant, thanks to Viscount Mabrey and his domineering presence- but since she had introduced women and younger members into parliament, as well as the increasing experience she was gaining, Mia had discovered that she was walking into parliament with more confidence in her step.

Of course, there were still a few members who liked to try and cause trouble, mutter a few asides during sessions that they wanted her to hear (and she chose to ignore them) as well as talking to her with a tinge of condescension in their voices, but she was dealing with them in her own way (namely, still being polite to them but ignoring them when they were really being awful) and Sebastian Motaz made sure that he kept them in line.

"They will eventually understand that you are the one in charge and that to be given respect, they have to earn it," he had advised her one day after a fairly unpleasant session when a certain group of men kept talking over her, Sebastian finally having to take over control of the session by banging down loudly with his gavel and giving them a lecture.

"I can understand why they would be so disrespectful- I mean, I am only twenty one."

"That doesn't mean that they should not respect you- you are the Queen, you are the daughter and granddaughter of princes, king and queen and they should show the respect that they showed them to you as well."

On this morning in question, there were a few empty seats when she arrived (of course, Charlotte was already present and Mia suspected that she had probably been one of the first to arrive) but she took the time to greet the parliamentary secretaries and Sebastian, while doing so, the rest of the parliamentarians arrived.

Sebastian banged down on his gavel decisively, ending the chatter in the room.

"Good morning, honoured body, and welcome to the newest session of parliament… Are there any apologies? All present?"

There was silence in the room at his words, indicating that all were present- and it was clearly visually obvious.

Parliamentary Secretary Stevenson, if you would be so kind as to read the notes from the last session of parliament…."

Mia sat back in her seat, her notepad and silver pen seated on a small table nearby- she had been to many parliament sessions in the past six months, but the formality of the sessions still surprised her… but, then again, all the parliamentarians sitting in front of her were dressed in black robes and white wigs, which was a tradition that had dated back at least three hundred years, so she really shouldn't be surprised that the sessions were so formal.

"You cannot change everything in one day, Mia," her grandmother had said quietly when Mia had expressed her surprise at the formality of the sessions and wondered aloud whether things could be changed, the formality softened somewhat. "There are some things that cannot be changed, and parliament sessions are one such issue that cannot be changed."

"I'm still going to consider trying to changing some things," Mia said with shining eyes and her grandmother could only smile- she was so positive and wanted to change things for the better.

"Well, you've already made changes with introducing women into parliament, so I'm counting on you, dear, to make the changes you want," she said encouragingly, and Mia couldn't help but smile at the memory.

Until then, though, she thought with a sigh, she would have to make do with participating in these mostly boring parliamentary sessions ("yes, mostly they are boring, dear," Grandma had agreed), take notes and secretly make plans for changes in the future.

"Motion to pass that the last sessions notes are correct and complete, all say aye," Sebastian boomed, breaking into her thoughts- _pay attention, Thermopolis,_ she told herself sternly.

"Aye," came from every seat of the room, including Mia.

"So carried. Now onto today's session, if you would all consult with your agendas…."

000

Once the session of parliament was over, it was almost lunch time and, she had to admit, she was starving- _may have to eat more for breakfast,_ she thought to herself wryly as she followed Annie back to the car, Scott and two other security men (she was determined to learn all her security team's name, eventually) on her heels.

On her way back to the palace, she checked her mobile phone (yes, she had a mobile phone and it was well protected with the latest in all security technology, at Joe's, Grandma's and Scott's insistence) and Mia chuckled when she saw the text message from Nicholas:

 _"Finally broke out of parliament session? No wonder they all go crazy! See you tonight."_

"You've got that right," she murmured to herself before typing a response to Nicholas, sending it with a smile.

Despite their rocky beginning (which was mainly due to his uncle's meddling), their relationship had developed quite well, although they had very spirited arguments (and she had to admit that she enjoyed them) but upon the advice from a few closest to them (namely, her mother, Lily, Pierre, her grandmother and Joe), they were taking it slowly.

"Which kind of makes sense, considering I was almost railroaded into marriage a month after I returned to Genovia," Mia had chuckled wryly when she had told Nicholas about the advice she had been given.

"Yes, I can understand why you would be a little gun shy after that incident- thanks to my dear uncle- but I also think that their advice makes sense… after all, we're both young… what's the rush? I'm also hoping that I can win Lily over- she didn't seem to like me before the coronation."

"Understandable, don't you think?" she teased. "But, she will like you… she wants to get to know you, so that's a good sign."

"It better be."

Because their relationship was unofficial (and they were working on keeping it low key, particularly not giving any information to parliament, they had already made her life difficult once before) and Mia was _Queen of Genovia_ , it was hard for them to go on normal dates like most other couples, such as going out to dinner or to the movies, as they had to stay at the palace or dates had to be planned well in advance so that her security team could case the area and ensure it was a safe place for her to go.

However, it didn't bother Nicholas (it DID bother Mia, she had to admit, she had never had a normal dating life) and they had managed to have some quiet private time together, either walking in the garden, having dinner together, watching movies in the library and even attempting to play chess (which was something they failed at abysmally) but Mia was hoping that _eventually_ … they could leave the palace.

Back at the palace, realising that she was late, Mia all but threw her briefcase at Annie and jogged up the stairs to her grandmother's suite- even though she was no longer Queen and happily married, there were a few things that her grandmother took pride in and punctuality was one of them.

"Sorry, sorry, sorry I'm late," Mia babbled as she dashed through the open suite door and came to an abrupt stop when she realised that her grandmother and Joe were sharing a gentle kiss. "Oh… I'm so, so sorry…."

"Mia, it's fine," her grandmother pulled away from her husband and turned to look at her granddaughter. "You are not late… and even if you were late, you had a good excuse, you were in parliament."

"But I wouldn't do it again," Joseph added mock sternly, an amused twinkle in his eyes.

"I'll try not to… boy, am I starving," Mia flopped inelegantly into a chair as Clarisse tsked in disapproval. "Sorry, Grandma, it's just that those chairs in parliament are so… uncomfortable."

"But it doesn't mean that you slouch in your chair, or flop in one just like you did- you are not only Queen but a young lady as well," Clarisse said chidingly and Mia sat up straighter, looking guilty. "But I didn't mean to lecture, just a gentle reminder," she added with a conciliatory smile and Mia smiled back at her. "Anyway," she sat back down again, Joseph at her side. "So, how was parliament… despite the uncomfortable seats?"

"Fine… I finally think I'm starting to make a difference with the older members of parliament, they're not talking back as much… and, shock horror, they seem to be actually listening to me!"

"No more of Sebastian's lectures?" Joe joked.

"No, not anymore," Mia said with a proud smile. "I think… I'm starting to get their respect."

"Which you should have had from the moment you sat down on the throne," Joseph muttered as Clarisse threw him a look. "Well, it's true!"

"True enough, and I'm pleased for you, my dear," she focused her gaze back on Mia. "Very, very pleased."

"What have you two been up to?" Mia asked with an innocent smile, although she was thinking something very different, not that she would ever say anything to them- they were still fairly private about their relationship and Mia had to suspect that, although she found the length of their courtship, their clear devotion to each other and the wedding itself very romantic.

"Not a great deal… we did go for a walk this morning, the gardens are going to need to be pruned …."

"Definitely enjoying retirement, then?"

"Definitely," Joseph grinned at her as Clarisse glanced at her watch.

"Lily informed me that you have a very tight schedule, so we had best have lunch now," before she nodded to the maid who was hovering in the doorway.

"Yes, I suppose so," Mia said with a regretful sigh- she had to admit, she enjoyed spending time with her grandparents (she fully considered Joe her grandfather and had told him so herself, much to his embarrassment) and she hoped that they truly were enjoying retirement and marriage, although they seemed to be from what she was seeing….

000

As Mia suspected, knowing that she had a tight schedule, lunch was not a long, leisurely occasion, but Clarisse promised, as she was leaving, that they would have a longer meal the following evening, knowing that she had plans with Nicholas that evening.

"What are your plans for the evening with Nicholas?"

"I think we're just having dinner tonight… Nicholas has to leave tomorrow for Spain- he's accompanying the Ambassador to assist with negotiations."

After the coronation, a lot of people had expected Nicholas to take over the seat that his uncle had recently vacated, but instead he had insisted on applying for a position in the Diplomatic Attaché Corps, with intentions of working his way up to parliament.

"It wouldn't be fair of me to be in parliament when I didn't earn my way there," he said of his decision when discussing it with Mia.

"But didn't your uncle take over your father's seat when he died? Shouldn't it go directly to you?"

"It could, but I don't want it to- I want to earn my own way in my own time."

"Good for him," her grandmother said in approval when she had heard his decision. "He's earning his own way, exactly what his father would have done."

"How is he going in the Corps? I've been meaning to ask but haven't had the opportunity," Joseph now asked and Mia grinned.

"He's finding it a little harder than expected- particularly with dealing with diplomats, but he is learning and he's studying as well. But he is enjoying it, and Sebastian has high praise for him."

"Good for him, he deserves it," Clarisse said approvingly.

Once lunch was over, Mia went back downstairs to complete paperwork- she, as usual, had a pile on her desk that never seemed to diminish (much to her annoyance) but she was glad to have two assistants to help her with all the paperwork.

Annie was several years older than Mia and Lily, and had much more experience in dealing with protocols and procedures, and she was in charge of organising her schedule- daily, weekly and monthly- as well as assisting her with correspondence and, on occasion, explaining what certain issues mean.

She was already waiting patiently at her desk (that was formerly Charlotte's) when Mia walked towards her study.

"Good afternoon, Your Majesty," Annie said properly, standing up and following her into her study. "I have put the most important paperwork on your desk for your perusal, and I'm just finishing perusing your correspondence."

"Thank you… and I would appreciate it if you typed up the notes from the parliamentary session and have it on my desk before I return this evening." Mia didn't like the formality between her and her personal assistant (which was why she was glad that Lily had returned to Genovia), but her grandmother had informed her that it was necessary to have professional distance between herself and her staff.

"But what about you and Charlotte?"

"What about Charlotte and I?"

"Well… you guys are definitely friends now and I'm sure that you were probably friends while you were working together."

"Yes, while we are friends now, we were professionals while we were working together and you need to understand that you cannot be friends with your staff."

Mia had to bite her lip so she didn't argue with her grandmother- she didn't want to say it, but hadn't she and Joe started off as professionals and now they were... _married?_

But she had to admit, while Annie's ultra-professional attitude sometimes grated on Mia's nerves, she was a very keen and enthusiastic worker and they managed to get through all the paperwork before she was to leave for the board meeting of the orphanage.

Lily met her at the doorway- she too was a member of the board- and they, along with her usual entourage of security men ( _she had to learn their names!_ ) left the palace by car, driving down back into Pyrus and the orphanage.

The new orphanage was something she was very proud of- she had had the idea to upgrade the orphanage (and she knew that the main reason that the members of parliament had raised the money was so quickly was because the children had, until the upgrades were done, been staying in the Winter Palace, their 'retreat') and she had managed to handle all the plans, arguments, debates, fundraising, paperwork almost all by herself (and she was grateful for the support of Sebastian, Charlotte and her grandmother who, although retired, still had a great deal of influence) and as she stepped out of the car in front of the building, she felt proud again, very proud.

"Admiring your work again?" Lily's sharp voice came from behind her and Mia couldn't help but grin sheepishly back at her.

"Am I that obvious?"

"Yes, but you have every right to be proud… you did amazing work."

"Well, the work is still on going, so we had better get in there and get this board meeting underway."

000

Once the board meeting was over, Mia stopped by to visit some of the children- including Carolina, who was growing up into a lovely, sweet little girl who had a very soft spot for Mia- and she had a great time playing with them, reading a few stories and throwing balls around with them.

 _This,_ she thought to herself, was what made being Queen so worthwhile- while she would always have challenges, parliamentarians, heads of state and diplomats that would make things difficult, the press would always try and cause problems, create scandals that would embarrass her and she would often get sick of the paperwork, the press and all the responsibilities resting on her shoulders, it was reminders such as these that would make life worthwhile.

She was Queen of Genovia and while there would be more responsibilities, more problems, and more paperwork every day, she was proud to be Queen, she was proud to be in Genovia, she was proud to BE exactly who she was- Her Majesty Amelia Mignonette Thermopolis Renaldi… **Mia**.


	3. Clarisse

_A/N: Thanks to all my readers and reviewers- you all rock!_

 _The Princess Diaries doesn't belong to me_

Clarisse had used to dislike waking up in the mornings. Really, really dislike waking up in the morning and she had a few reasons to not liking waking up in the morning….

Yes, she was Queen of Genovia and she had responsibilities and duties that she had to fulfil by being a Head of State. Yet, sometimes, she had wished that she been free, had had had a different life, not that she could imagine having a life different from the one she was leading.

Yes, she was the widow of the King of Genovia, and as such had to deal with members of parliament, some of whom had lusted after for years and some who viewed her as an interloper on the throne.

Yes, she was a mother and grandmother- but one of her sons had been killed in a devastating accident that she wasn't sure that she would ever recover from; her eldest son had chosen a different life from the one he had been groomed to from childhood and, as such, had been 'driven' from the country, thanks to certain parliamentarians who believed that he should have taken the responsibility of being King and NOT have a choice in his life.

She also had a granddaughter that she had never met, who lived in San Francisco and had no idea that she was royal and an heir to the throne. Clarisse understood that Phillipe had been cautious and protective, wanting her to have a normal life, but still…

The paperwork, the constant paperwork, the meetings, the sessions of parliament, the trips, the state and formal occasions… it was enough to make the mind whirl…

However. Life changes and now….

Clarisse really enjoyed waking up in the mornings, and there were many, many reasons for that…

She was no longer Queen of Genovia. She was retired and Mia, her granddaughter, was the new Queen of Genovia.

She now longer had to deal with parliament and paperwork, although she didn't mind occasionally representing the Queen on different occasions.

Her surviving son was now back in Genovia, still a priest and now working with the Archbishop of Genovia; and her granddaughter was completely back in her life and as Queen of Genovia.

Since her retirement, she had also had the opportunity to reconnect with some of her friends- some of them were the wives of parliamentarians- and over the past few months, had been able to socialise with them outside the professional 'realm' (that is, when she was Queen and the occasions had specific purposes) and she enjoyed it. She really did- and she was also happy that her friends had openly and warmly accepted Joseph in her life.

But the most wonderful reason of all… she was married to the love of her life and she would be able to spend the rest of her life with him…

She had married Joseph, on impulse, after agonising over his proposal for what seemed like forever and making the wrong decision… but that moment in the church… it felt right.

Those were the reasons that she liked waking up in the morning….

0

This morning, however, she rolled over in bed and discovered….empty sheets, rumpled of course, but… no Joseph. She glanced at the clock on the bedside table and was only a little surprised to discover that it was after nine o'clock.

"Joseph?" she called as she sat up amongst the sheets- she was so used to waking up next to him or in his arms- and it was surprising at how easily she had adjusted to waking up with someone beside her- that it was often disconcerting to wake up and him not being there.

"Good morning, my beautiful wife," suddenly came from the doorway and she looked up to see Joseph carefully carrying a cup laden tray into the bedroom.

That was something else that had become part of their routine- breakfast or a cup of tea (or coffee, in his instance) in bed before they got up, and she had to admit, while Joseph had initiated the 'routine', she found it very relaxing.

"Consider that we're retired now, there is no rush to be anywhere or do anything so we may as well enjoy every moment of every day," was his reasoning.

"You really want to enjoy retirement, don't you?" she couldn't help but tease him, although she found his reasoning very sweet.

"Of course… just like I want to enjoy every moment of this marriage with you," he added, leaning over to kiss her and there was no more conversation for quite a while….

"Good morning," she responded with a smile.

"Did you think that I was going to disappear on you?" he teased as he set the tray on her bedside table and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"No… I was just a little startled…"

"I was a little late this morning… but as if I would want to be anywhere else but here with you," he gave her a loving smile before leaning over and kissing her gently on the lips. "Good morning."

"Good morning," she said with a shy smile.

Yes, she really did enjoy retirement, she thought to herself as she watched Joseph pour her tea for her.

She had been afraid that, after the coronation, she wouldn't be able to let go of the crown and the responsibilities that were hers, as it had been drummed into her since her betrothal to the Crown Prince but she had discovered that she had rather enjoyed letting go….

Clarisse had also been afraid of retirement, she had to admit, but with Joseph, it didn't seem to matter because they were together and they had plenty to do- they went for long, leisurely walks in the garden, playing chess, reading books, talking… they always seemed to have something to talk about, to share, which Clarisse couldn't help but marvel at and appreciate… With Rupert, conversation had always been somewhat stilted, awkward, but with Joseph… conversation had always been easy, uncomplicated… that's probably why their relationship was always so easy, had deepened so quickly and purely.

"Penny for your thoughts?" she suddenly realised that he was watching her, her cup of tea proffered in his hand.

"What? Oh… it's nothing."

"You seemed very deep in thought."

"Oh… I was just thinking about how I didn't think I was going to enjoy retirement, but I am…"

"I didn't think that I was going to enjoy being retired, either," Joseph admitted with a smile. "But, I have to admit, retirement does have its benefits…" he leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Some very nice benefits…" he repeated in a teasing tone as Clarisse blushed. "So… what are the plans for today….?"

"Hmm… I'm not quite sure… what would you like to do?"

"I don't know, what would you like to do?" he echoed with another teasing smile.

"Well… I do know that we are having lunch with the Motazes, I've arranged for us to have lunch here."

"Excellent."

"I have a board meeting later this afternoon, with one of my charities… but, other than that… nothing."

"Well, it sounds like another delightful day….but there is one thing we need to do before anything else."

"What is that?"

"Breakfast- always the most important meal of the day."

"Touché."

000

After a long, leisurely breakfast, they were just about to leave for one of their first walks of the day in the garden, when there was a knock on the door and in burst Mia.

"Good morning newlyweds! Are you just finishing breakfast?" she giggled when she saw the empty plates on the table.

"Good morning, Mia…. Nice of you to drop by," Joseph said mildly as Clarisse marvelled again at how spontaneous her granddaughter was and how different from what she was like at that age.

When _she_ was twenty one, she wasn't Queen of Genovia, but rather the Crown Princess and a married mother of one. She barely knew her husband, even after three years of marriage and the expectations of the country and the parliament were already beginning to weigh her down, as well as the knowledge that her husband was already being unfaithful to her. The only joy in her life at that time was her baby son, Pierre.

Which was why it shouldn't have been so difficult to condemn parliament when they had tried to force her to marry a complete stranger just so that she could take the throne. Clarisse _should_ have flatly refused the suggestion, arguing even more forcefully that the law hadn't been used in at least three hundred years and that it wasn't necessary to enforce it at all. Mia could still have been doing her apprenticeship alongside Clarisse and when she, Clarisse, felt that she was ready, she would step down and Mia would step up.

When she suggested that to Joseph, however, he was quiet for a long time before he responded to her argument- and it wasn't what she expected.

"Sweetheart, if you had tried that… yes, I know that you are a very strong woman, very convincing when you want to be… but… I think if you had forced parliament's hand, gave them an ultimatum, they would have invoked the incompetency law and forced you off the throne. I know that you would have had supporters but, with Viscount Mabrey around, causing trouble, you could have had quite a fight on your hands and it could have been seriously divisive in the country. You may have succeeded, but there could have been quite a cost."

Clarisse had been very quiet for a long time after his words, for so long that he had gotten worried that he had offended her. "Clarisse."

"You're right," she said quietly, turning to him with a small smile. "I wouldn't have been able to do it and yes, it would have caused divisions within parliament and the country, and I love my country too much to have done something like that."

Meanwhile, back in the present….

"So, what have you been up to this morning?" Joseph asked as Clarisse returned her attention to the conversation at hand.

"I had an early meeting with Sebastian and Charlotte, I have another meeting after lunch and I have a pile of paperwork the size of a small mountain on my desk… Grandma, I don't know how you did it."

"She was a very clever lady… and so are you," Joe looked at both women affectionately.

"Stop it, Joe, you're making me blush," Mia said teasingly as Clarisse watched them, also with affection- they had always had a special bond, beginning when she was fifteen and he was her 'personal babysitter', driving her around San Francisco. He had always been her staunchest defender and supporter, and he had always been friendly and considerate to her. Mia too was very fond of him, and had told Clarisse many times that he was "cool"- and then, after the wedding, she had leant over and hugged him, whispering: "welcome to the family, Grandpa", a gesture that had touched both of them a great deal.

"So, what are you two doing today? I take it that it's another day of enjoying retirement," she teased and Clarisse was again struck at how similar she was to her father, he too enjoyed teasing her over the years, usually secretly as his father disapproved of humour or showing affection. "I can see that you're just about to go for one of your walks around the garden- luckily, it's not so cold out there this morning. But what else… although Sebastian tells me that you are all having lunch together, and there's a board meeting this afternoon."

"Well, I don't need to tell you what we're 'up to' today, seeing that you already know what we're doing," Clarisse said dryly but with a wry smile on her face.

"Oops, sorry," Mia looked momentarily embarrassed and Joseph chuckled.

"At least we can always rely on you if we need to have a social calendar," he joked and Mia chuckled along with him, Clarisse joining in a second later.

"True, true. I wouldn't mind that," before she glanced at her watch. "Well, I had better go, I want to get some of that paperwork done… have a great morning, you two," as she bounced towards the door, turning to give them a sly smile, before disappearing out the door.

"I don't know what we're going to do with that girl," Clarisse said with a touch of despair in her voice.

"You wouldn't want to change her for anything in the world…" Joseph chuckled and Clarisse couldn't resist smiling back at him.

"Alright, alright- you're right… but sometimes…"

"Sometimes she gets a little crazy… and I find that endearing… just like her father."

"Just like her father," she echoed, a little wistfully.

000

Because it was February, the weather was cloudy and cool but, as always, Clarisse and Joseph enjoyed their stroll around the gardens.

Before their marriage, their strolls were firstly a way for Clarisse to have some time away from her desk and her husband, and they were usually silent, Joseph following behind her discreetly. Clarisse had found his presence annoying much of the time- _she needed some time alone_ \- but she knew that there was nothing she could do, she would either walk in the garden accompanied by a bodyguard or stay at her desk, unaccompanied, although surrounded by secretaries, personal assistant, ladies maid and various palace staff.

After a while, once they had gotten to know each other and Clarisse had learned to trust him as her personal bodyguard, she didn't mind his presence- actually she found it rather soothing and began to wonder if she could consider him a friend, considering that they were spending a great deal of time together. She told herself immediately that she was being ridiculous, she couldn't be friends with her bodyguard, but….

Eventually, once they had both accepted that they were friends (and Joseph was calling her 'Clarisse' when they were alone), he walked at her side and the conversations were often stilted but there was something different about their conversations, as compared to her conversations with Rupert. Joseph became her confidant, her sounding board when she was battling with parliament or her husband… her personal life was still out of bounds much of the time but one day… one day, the boundary between friendship and something more was blurred, and then broke, never to be fixed.

" _You're very quiet today," Joseph said conversationally as they strolled around the garden. "Something happen in parliament?"  
_

 _"I didn't go, it was Rupert's session."_

" _What about that meeting with the Spanish Ambassador?"  
_

 _"It was fine."  
_

 _"Clarisse." He stopped and turned her towards him. "What's wrong?"  
_

 _"Nothing… it's nothing," she kept her eyes averted from his- she couldn't bear for him to find out what Rupert had done…again and again… it was never ending and she was tired of pretending that everything was fine, when it wasn't.  
_

 _"I don't believe you… look at me…. look at me," he repeated, insistent, and she slowly raised her face so she was looking into his eyes, and she was mortified to realise that he already knew._

" _I… I…." she began, stammering, her throat was becoming blocked up and her eyes were beginning to fill with tears. "I…. I…."_

" _It's alright," he said, pulling her close to him and resting her head on his shoulder. "It's alright," he murmured again and again, in her ear._

"I never thought that I would find walking in the garden so relaxing," he said as they were walking back towards the palace.

"I never thought that I would actually enjoy walking around the gardens with someone else…"

"Yes, I always felt that you were more than a little… resentful… that you had to have an escort walking around the garden with you."

"But I didn't dream that I would actually be married to my escort," she leaned into his shoulder for a moment and he chuckled as he kissed her forehead.

"Well, that wasn't part of my plan either… but here we are!"

"Here we are."

000

Lunch with the Motazes was as delightful as always- the younger couple had been long standing supporters of Clarisse (Sheila especially, Sebastian being more diplomatic, especially when dealing with the King) and Joseph's relationship. Joseph had always gotten along with the Prime Minister, and since Clarisse and Joseph had retired, the two couples had socialised together a great deal, with a select group of members of parliament and their wives.

Clarisse was very fond of the Motazes- she had always got along with Sheila and Sebastian had always been a staunch ally to her, and their daughter had been Phillipe's goddaughter; but Clarisse had a much more personal relationship with Sebastian, she almost considered him another son. He and Phillipe had gone to boarding school together and had been good friends; Rupert had approved of the friendship- the Prime Minister's son friends with the on of a King- but Clarisse had thought more of the friendship than that (and she had liked his parents), they were so similar in temperament and character- very different to Pierre or Sebastian's younger sister.

The friendship had deepened over the years, with Phillipe being best man at Sebastian's wedding, Sebastian was Mia's 'unofficial' godparent and they had continued to support each other over the years with Sebastian, as a friend rather than in his official capacity as Prime Minister, giving the eulogy at Phillipe's funeral.

Once Phillipe had gone, Clarisse had found Sebastian becoming a solid sounding board, listening to her when necessary and while he had had to remain 'neutral' in public and in parliament, he often agreed with her observations and ideas.

However, now that she was retired, there was no such conflict of interest and the two couples were able to lunch or have dinner together without repercussions.

As always, Sebastian praised Mia to the skies just after their arrival for lunch.

"That young lady is definitely going to ensure parliament comes into the 21st century," he said as they sat down to lunch in Clarisse and Joseph's suite.

"Yes, I think she is going to be a breath of fresh air to parliament," Clarisse agreed proudly- yes, it was time for a new generation to take over the crown and guide the country into the 21st century. She had done her best ("you had been fantastic", Joseph continually told her) but she was from a different generation and it had definitely been time…

"How are the sessions of parliament going? Is she finally getting some respect from the older members?" Joseph was closely interested in how she was being treated in parliament- after seeing how Clarisse was treated by certain members, he was determined to ensure that 'his Princess' would not suffer the same indignities that her grandmother had- and Clarisse was deeply appreciative of that.

"It's been a slow and steady climb, but I think she's getting there… I know she has definitely got the support of the women members."

"Of course she would, she was the one who introduced them into parliament, they should be grateful and appreciative to her," Joseph said stoutly and Clarisse put a hand over his and squeezed gently.

"They realise that, dear, and they would be very happy to support her."

"Well, at least there are few of King Rupert's, may he rest in peace, cronies there anymore."

"Most of them retired in disgust," Joseph couldn't help but snicker and Clarisse shot him a look- they were all well aware of his feelings on certain members of parliament, but now was not the time to reiterate them. "Well… not necessarily but…."

"They were at an age that they were due to retire anyway," Sebastian said smoothly. "To be honest, I'm actually rather relieved that some of them have retired… they would have kept the country back in the 20th century or earlier and Genovia needs to remain relevant to the European community and the rest of the world."  
This time it was Sheila who rested a gentle hand on Sebastian's hand.

"We know, Sebastian, we know- and we've got a Queen, following in the footsteps of her legendary grandmother," she shot a warm smile at the older woman across the table from her. "Who will be able to do what you want… you just have to be patient with her, there's plenty of time."

Then, diplomatically, she changed the subject- back to Clarisse's board meeting for that afternoon- and the rest of the meal passed quickly and smoothly- despite the difference in their ages, the two couples always had lots to talk about.

"Next time, our place!" Sheila said when they were leaving, and Clarisse couldn't help but chuckle, a little unused to making spontaneous lunch dates- while she was Queen, everything had to be planned well ahead of time, but now…

"Fine, your place next time!"

Once the Motazes had left, Clarisse glanced at her watch with a small sigh- it wasn't a sigh of disgust or disappointment, more like of anticipation- it was time for her to leave for her meeting, and it was a meeting that, for once, she was looking forward to.

"Meeting time?"

"Yes… would you like to come with me?"

"Well… maybe not this time…I have something else I….."

"I knew it!" she chuckled delightedly. "You are going down to the security hub, see what Scott's up to!"

"I'm not checking up on him, if that's what you're saying," he began, a touch defensively before he looked a little sheepish. "Alright, maybe I am… a little bit…."

"I understand perfectly," she reached over and caressed his cheek with one hand. "You go and check up on Scott, while I'll go to my meeting… and we'll meet up later."

"We had better," he teased back before leaning over and kissing her.

000

Her board meeting didn't take as long as normal- not that she minded, she had been patron of this particular charity for at least thirty years (she was patron to at least 20 or 30 more) and she would always do what she could for her charities- so she stayed and chatted with some of her board members for a little while (again, it was something that she wouldn't have been able to do beforehand, with her time being so regimented and organised) and while they were still very deferential towards her (she was the grandmother of a queen, a former Queen herself), she found that there was a relaxing in their attitudes towards her, that they weren't so nervous around her….

"Thank you so much for coming, you didn't have to, you know," the chairman of the board said to her just before she left.

"I did, actually and I will continue to do so as long as you wish to have me here."

"Which will be for a long time to come," the chairman declared before his expression froze in horror, suddenly remembering who he was talking to.

"Which is a good thing," Clarisse gave him a warm smile before holding out her hand to shake his. "Until next time."

She had just stepped out of the car, back at the palace, when she spied her son emerging from around the side of the palace- he had obviously been in the garden.

"Pierre! What are you doing here? Not that it isn't lovely to see you!" Pierre lived near the church in Pyrus, but he spent a great deal of time at the palace, although he hadn't had much time in recent weeks as he had been away at a theological conference in England.

"I had a little time before I have to attend a meeting with the Archbishop, so I thought I would call in and say hello."

Ever since he had stepped aside from the throne and had fulfilled his own dreams for his own career, Pierre had relaxed considerably and hadn't been as serious as he had been while his father had been alive. It was if, with the weight of responsibility lifted off his shoulders, he was able to become the person he _should_ have been if not for his father and the right of is birth. He was much happier, much calmer, still serious (which was necessary in his profession) and thoughtful but… he was happier and that was all that mattered to Clarisse.

"Well, hello Pierre," she smiled at him and linked her arm through his as they walked up the stairs to the front door. "How was the conference?"

"Very, very interesting- I'll have to come to dinner in the next few days and tell you all about it… I COULD tell you now, but sadly," he glanced at his watch. "I must go."

"Oh, that's a shame."

"But I will be back, I'm not running anymore," he looked at her seriously- he knew that she was worried that he would leave the country again, as when he had been 'driven' out years earlier, but he wasn't intending on doing that again. Ever.

"I never said that you were," she said roughly, embarrassed that he had caught her out on her fear. "It's just that…"

"You don't see me that often, I understand- but I'm still around, I'm not going away… By the way, I bumped into our new Queen racing to another meeting…."

"She wasn't late, was she?"

"No, I don't think she was… she was just a little flustered, she wanted to be fully prepared for her meeting, so she was intending on being there a little early…. She's very keen and enthusiastic, I admire her for that."

"As do I."

"Well, I must away otherwise I will be late… I will definitely see you very soon," he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "Very soon, Maman, I promise."

000

The afternoon had seemingly slipped by with lunch with the Motazes and her board meeting, so she was surprised when, returning to her suite, that Joseph was back and reading a book on the sofa.

"You're back!" he said, looking up and abandoning his book to move over to her and lightly kiss her. "I didn't expect you back for a while yet!"

"The meeting wasn't as long as I expected, and I took a few moments to talk to some of the board members, which was strange."

"In what way?" he asked as they sat back down on the sofa together. "Were they being stand offish towards you?"

"No, no, nothing like that," she smiled at him- he was so fiercely protective of her, he would imagine any slights against her and take them as his own. "It's just… I'm still not used to having free time on my hands- every minute of my day was regulated, I was practically rushed from one meeting to another… it's strange not to still be in that whirlpool."

"And Mia's having difficulties trying to get into that whirlpool," Joseph joked with a small smile.

"Yes, but she will get there with that, I did… but then again, I had Rupert who usually made sure that I was on time to everything… I was always taught, even when I was young, that it's better to be early than late."

"Yes, I learnt that lesson as well," he grimaced at the memory. "It was very painful when I was a young boy, but as I grew up…."

"….and became a personal bodyguard to the Queen of Genovia," Clarisse cut in with a grin.

"…yes, that as well…but I learned that it IS better to be early than late. It's a habit that is going to be hard to break."

"But we're going to try, aren't we?"

"Oh, we are definitely going to try," he joked back before leaning over and kissing her again, his lips lingering against hers for long than expected, teasing her gently, nibbling…. "So, since dinner is a little way away… what should we do now?"

"I suppose a game of chess may be the way to go," she flirted with him, gently pushing him away for a moment and laughing when she saw the expression on his face. "Or maybe the chess game can wait until later… maybe…."

"I think it can…." he murmured before leaning over and kissing her again, this time the kiss wasn't broken until they came up for oxygen and, wordlessly, he stood up, helped her up and, with another gently kiss, led her to the bedroom…


End file.
